On the Spire
by Kihin Ranno
Summary: Sometimes Endymion wishes Venus were not so independent.


On the Spire  
Written for the Sailor Moon Monthly Fanfiction Challenge  
March Challenge - Day Two: Spire  
Submitted for My Minako/Mamoru Claim at Challenge, Make-Up!  
Prompt 84: Frustration  
by Kihin Ranno  
1/1  
PG-13

Endymion stood on the roof of the castle that was not his own, carefully balanced on the stone and leaning against the spire at his back. He gazed out at the city below him, marveling at how much progress had been made since last time he checked. Entire city blocks floated just below the palace, the lights sparkling so that he could fool himself into believing that stars had floated down to her planet. He wondered if it had been an attempt to rival her eyes.

"Here you are," her voice called out, laughing like Christmas bells. "I was wondering where you'd gone off to."

Endymion smiled, though he did not turn to face her. "I told them that I came here to inspect the progress of construction. I decided I'd better do it."

Venus hesitated before answering, and he knew he'd said the wrong thing. "You have to go back soon?"

He shook his head. "Not soon." He swallowed. "Just eventually."

"Of course," she said, unable to muster up any relief. He heard her cross over to him, moving as if they weren't so far above the Venusian terrain. He didn't reach out to steady her; he had learned early on that there were very few things she needed.

It was refreshing and terrifying at the same time.

Her arms wrapped around his waist, her head coming to rest on his chest. "And what have you to say of my progress, _my_ King?"

Endymion chuckled at her inflection on his honorific. "It certainly is remarkable. I never would have thought you'd be able to reassemble construction so quickly."

Venus shrugged. "Once we figured out how to keep the city suspended, it got easier. I'd give you an estimate as to how long I think it's going to take, but that would jinx it."

It would also give them a deadline for when they would have to come up with a new way to meet in secret. The reconstruction of her planet demanded her full attention, or at least that's what she had insisted upon. Of course, she visited the Earth when she had the time, but more often than not, she remained on Venus. Every once in awhile, Endymion would stop by to check on her progress. Although, he visited more often than anyone else knew.

"And what about your castle?" Endymion asked.

Venus sighed. "Do you have to start that again?"

"You haven't even begun reconstruction," Endymion reminded her. "And you spend most of your time here completely alone."

"If I employ servants, then I would have to explain what you're doing in my bed so often, and I don't think they'd believe that you'd sleepwalked there," Venus drawled. "Besides, it's not as if I stay in there when you're not here. I walk about the city, aid in reconstruction, allow my adoring fans to pay homage…"

Endymion shook his head, rolling his eyes at her. "I'm telling you, I don't like it. You're living in a ruin with only a few rooms renovated to accommodate life. It's probably not even structurally sound."

"It will hold," Venus countered.

"Would it survive an assault?" Endymion asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

Venus scoffed. "No one is going to attack me."

"Oh, are you the clairvoyant now?" Endymion snapped.

"Why are you getting so upset?" Venus demanded. "It's not like you to--"

"I am upset because you're living in a tomb!" Endymion shouted, taking her off guard. "I am upset because you're here with no company, no protection, no nothing. And I am upset because something might happen to you, and I can't…" he trailed off, unable to go on.

A silence passed between them as Venus filled in the missing pieces. She reached up and stroked his face, "Hey," she whispered.

"Minako…" he said softly, closing his eyes.

"Hey, stop that," she ordered gently. "You're not going to lose me, okay?"

He took a deep breath. "As I recall, you told Usagi the same thing before D-point. And after Makoto and Ami--"

"You weren't around for that," Venus cut off, her voice thick.

"I still know what happened," Endymion countered. "You said that, and you died anyway. So don't tell me that. Don't you ever tell me that."

Venus looked up at him, her brow furrowed and her lips pressed tightly together. After a moment, her shoulders sagged. "Does it mean that much to you?"

"You mean that much to me," he said softly.

Her face softened, but she did not blush. It took a lot more than that to make Aino Minako blush, although she seemed to have a talent for making just about everyone else do it in her stead. "If you'll help me with the plans…"

"I will," he promised.

Venus shook her head. "I suppose I couldn't put it off forever. Just… one request?"

"What is it?" he asked, relieved that she had finally given in. It was unlike her to take anyone else's advice, so he suspected that deep down, she'd been giving it some consideration. Either that or he'd had been sleeping with a remarkable clone for the past few nights.

"Don't change too much?" she asked, resting her forehead on his chest. "I like it as it is. It feels familiar. Like… like home."

Endymion wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head, inhaling and getting drunk on her perfume. He understood now, the real reason why she had resisted. In a world with so many unfamiliar things, a link to anything she had memory of – however faint – was cherished. He should have realized that sooner. He probably understood better than anyone else.

"Of course," he said softly.

He felt her relax and begin to breathe normally in his arms. "Mamoru?"

He closed his eyes, reveling in the sound of his name – his real name – falling from her lips. Not even his wife called him that anymore, not that he wanted her to now. He liked that only the woman in his arms had that privilege. "Yes?"

"Do you think we could survive having sex up here?"

He choked and felt his entire face go aflame. He heard her giggling underneath the sound of his coughing. Finally, he managed to say, "I doubt it."

"Boo," she pouted. "Well, inside we go then." She took his hand and started to lead him back indoors just as casually as if she'd asked him to dinner.

He shook his head and said, "Only you, Aino Minako."

She looked over her shoulder and winked at him. "You better believe it."

And so Chiba Mamoru and Aino Minako retired into the Castle Magellan, preparing to entwine themselves with one another in the shadows. Upon arriving, he would shut the shades before they began. The lights of the capital, though once they reminded him of stars, now only made him think of how they could never love in the day. They would only have this: secret meetings and smaller squabbles that would one day explode when they realized they just couldn't do it anymore.


End file.
